Inclusive Design and Design for Special Populations

Society is currently experiencing a significant change to the demographic (age) make-up of the population. In particular, increased life expectancy and reduced birth rates have resulted in a greater proportion of older adults (65+ years) within today’s society. These changes are placing new and emerging demands on the design of products, services and systems. Inclusive Design is an approach that seeks to address these demands through mainstream design. This chapter details the rationale as to why an Inclusive Design approach is important. It goes on to detail the principles that underpin this approach along with a range of methods that can be used to facilitate its application. Overall, the chapter provides the reader with a detailed description of how to apply inclusive design in order to address the needs of older adults and special populations.